Good for You
Spa cuisine defined (sorta)

BYLINE:  Christopher Trela

Spa cuisine? Defining the term can feel like an exercise in futility. It’s like discussing abstract art—everyone has an opinion, and no one’s right or wrong. Is spa cuisine the food you eat inside a spa, or healthy spa-inspired food, wherever you may find it? I think it’s both, and more.

“Spa cuisine is fine dining with an emphasis on nutrition, which requires more intense seasoning and freshness of ingredients,” says Eric Stein, a culinary nutrition instructor at Johnson & Wales University. Stein, who teaches a popular class on spa cuisine, honed his culinary skills at resorts and spas in Oregon, California and Arizona. He’s all about a style of cooking that embraces seasonal ingredients and nutrient-dense foods.

“I think spa cuisine should appeal to the senses. It should be nutritionally balanced, and stay in step with current food styles,” says Stein. “Spa cuisine should never be bland, never be overly modified, never come in miniscule portions.”

Thanks, Eric. I think we’re getting somewhere. We know what spa cuisine is not, and we know one essential component of that elusive definition—healthy. Not to oversimplify, but there is no spa cuisine without the trend toward healthy dining.

Between baby boomers seeking longevity and Gen-Xers coping with stress, today’s consumer is as focused on prevention and fitness as tranquility and escape. Spas are right in that sweet spot, able to fulfill both sets of needs. But only a handful, often called destination spas, truly get it right, offering high-quality cuisine with a holistic approach.

Take the Standard in Miami. The resort hotel features a variety of traditional and novel spa services, while the restaurant, Lido, promotes a Mediterranean diet and wholesome lifestyle. The menu emphasizes high-quality organic meats and fish, olive oil, fresh herbs, unprocessed foods, grill cooking, and organic and bio-dynamic wines. At the Standard, the spa treatments don’t just complement the spa food. It’s a package deal—one experience completes the other.

The philosophy behind spa cuisine is shaping our renewed interest in healthy dining, even at finer restaurants around the country. At the upscale Charlie Trotter’s in Chicago, Chef Trotter uses naturally raised meat and game, line-caught seafood and organic produce, and prefers saucing with vegetable juice-based vinaigrettes and light emulsified stocks. Trotter is at the forefront of defining a true spa cuisine. He continues to receive industry acclaim for his latest cookbook, titled—you guessed it—Spa Cuisine, which tracks his new menu at the One&Only Palmilla destination spa in Los Cabos, Mexico.

Here in Orange County, Fitness Grill & Pizza offers numerous health-conscious pizza, pasta and fish dishes, with the nutritional content of each one listed on the menu. There’s something of a cult following to Fitness Grill. At both locations (Yorba Linda, Brea), carb-watching, fat-fearing patrons line up to eat something both tasty and healthy. Thanks to the forward-thinking management, they can measure their meals to caloric and nutritional specifications you might only expect to find on a box Wheaties.

According to Susan Goldstein, regional director for the Healthy Dining book series and HealthyDiningFinder.com, Americans are dining out in greater numbers than ever before, and they’re looking for dishes that adhere to the spa cuisine concept. “Everyone is either eating healthier, trying to eat healthier, wants to eat healthier, or knows someone who is eating healthier,” says Goldstein. “Restaurants see healthy dining as an important part of their business, so they’ve risen to the challenge by offering healthy dining options that are both flavorful and beautiful.”

So whether you’re relaxing in a day spa, indulging in a spa resort retreat, or simply seeking a healthy dining experience, I suggest you skip the three Cs – champagne, caviar and chocolate—and demand the SC. Spa cuisine. What is it exactly? Who knows, but your entire body will thank you for it.

A recipe from Charlie Trotter’s Spa Cuisine, finalist for the 2007 IACP Cookbook Awards

Bigeye Tuna with Artichokes, Niçoise Olives, and Coriander-Caper Vinaigrette